Hello!

My name is Lily-Sue, but my mummy calls me Munchkin (or 'Munch' for short!) I am 8 years old, and this is where my mummy will help me write all about all the fun things we do together. I hope you enjoy reading about the adventures of my mummy and me, Munchkin, with the occasional appearance from the siblings - Beastie and Plumlet.

Sunday, 4 March 2012

When Munchkin met Fudgy Bear

Fudgy Bear hosts his own picnic for his friends at Foyles Book Store!

A few weeks ago, mummy and I were lucky enough to receive an invitation from Fudgy himself, asking if we would like to join him in London for a special picnic that he had planned. I don't mind telling you that I was SO excited!! I spent the days leading up to this exclusive event telling my Fudgy Bear all about the fun that was ahead of us and that we were going on a train to London for a special lunch with his mummy!!

Now, let me tell you a little about my special friendship with Fudgy Bear. He has lived with me for nearly a year now and he is my very best friend! I take him with me whenever I go out - whether it is on a big day out on a train, or on a shopping day with mummy and nanna. I don't like to leave him at home on his own! Last Summer, I went out with mummy and daddy to a friend's chalet for a barbecue. Of course, Fudgy came with us. In all the excitement of the day with having a special lunch and splashing the hours away in the paddling pool, Fudgy was left behind in the kitchen of the chalet. Mummy & daddy tried to distract me from the fact that he hadn't come home, but there was no hiding it come bedtime.I DO NOT go to bed without Fudgy and haven't since I've had him. I was without him for a whole 9 days, and it has been said many times that, since he found his way home, the bond between me and my cuddly friend has been noticeably stronger! I won't be leaving him behind anywhere again, that's for sure! Well, he found his way home to me - surely that means something ...?

I won't leave him behind again ... Not EVER!!

Well, now maybe you can understand just a little of how excited I was to be meeting Fudgy Bear (well, Fudgy Bear's mummy, as Fudgy Bear lives with me already!!) I set off with mummy and Fudgy to start our journey to Foyles Bookstore at Westfield Shopping Centre in London. Fighting our way through the busy morning rush hour into London, I just made sure I held Fudgy very tight, but made sure he could see out of the window on the train!

We arrived to a really warm welcome from the lovely Sarah - the brains and heart behind Fudgy Bear and his series of books. She was expecting us, which was really nice too. Greeting us with a big smile, she was really pleased to see that Fudgy Bear had joined us for the day! Whilst the mummies chatted, us kiddies were able to sit at the Activity Table where we could colour in pictures of Fudgy Bear. So Fudgy sat next to me and watched me create masterpieces!

"What colour next, Fudgy?"

It wasn't long before I noticed a larger version of my Fudgy Bear sitting over on a big mat all by himself. I suppose that must have been an older brother or something, but I had to go say hello and introduce myself!

Once everybody had arrived, we were all invited to sit down together on the story mat and Sarah introduced us to a very special guest. The moment we had been eagerly awaiting ... the arrival of Fudgy's mummy!!! I'll admit to being a little nervous at first. Fudgy's mummy was MUCH bigger than my little Fudgy, but I waved and said hello, but kept my distance for a little while! As cautious as I was, I was glad 'she' was there with us!!

Fudgy's mummy sat with us whilst Sarah read two of the books from Fudgy's very own series of educational titles - Fudgy goes to the Farm, and Fudgy goes to the Zoo.

These books are a fantastic introduction to animals, their characteristics, homes and sounds. With lovely illustrations and interesting layout, and Fudgy pops up on every page! Another great feature of all of the books, is each one comes with a little 'quiz' at the back to test how much you remember about Fudgy's adventures . We all had fun joining in with the animal noises and counting the friends that he met along the way. I think Sarah is a very good story teller!

Once story time had finished, we were treated to a lovely picnic made especially for us by Fudgy's mummy (so my mummy said!) cucumber and peppers, bread sticks and cakes, and some extra special Fudgy Bear biscuits which were yummy!! This gave everyone the chance to say hello to Fudgy's mummy, give 'her' lots of cuddles, and have photos taken. I let everyone else go first. I was quite happy eating bread sticks with my Fudgy Bear for the time being. My mummy also had the opportunity to chat with Amanda Gummer, who is the Child Psychologist that works very closely with Sarah in the creation of Fudgy's books, ensuring that every positive angle is reached and the books are as wonderfully beneficial as they can be!

After a while, Fudgy's mummy recognised my little best friend and got very excited! 'She' came over, took him gently from me, and gave him a big cuddle. After a little bit of coaxing an enthusiastic high-five from Fudgy's mummy, and some gentle encouragement and reassurance from my mummy and Sarah, I finally decided that, as big as she was, it would be ok

Now I've met (and hugged) the WHOLE Fudgy family!!

It was a really special day, and Sarah even took the time to write a little message especially for me inside my 'Fudgy goes to the Zoo' book. I was even given my own Goody Bag full of Fudgy Bear treats and activities. Although mummy said the bag was bigger than me, I still insisted on carrying it myself all the way back to the Tube Station!!

Mummy and I would both like to say a huge THANK YOU to the amazing Sarah and her lovely team who all worked so hard to make this day so special for us all. I certainly won't be forgetting the whole experience in a hurry! I now enjoy sitting with my Fudgy Bear as we talk all about our meeting with the rest of his Fudgy family! We feel very lucky to have been part of the day!

I LOVE you Fudgy!!!

To keep up to date with the adventures of Fudgy Bear and, of course all offers and new products available, please do visit and follow them in as many ways as you can to show your support!!

Fudgy is available to buy online for £15.99 at www.fudgybear.com or in selected Foyles and Waterstones bookshops. He makes the perfect present for a small child and the ideal gift for a new baby. Books start at £5.99 with special offers available on the website.

Some information about Fudgy Bear

Modelled on a traditional teddy bear, Fudgy is created using only the very finest plush materials and is hand stitched. He is instantly recognisable with his name printed on his lovely golden bow tie and embroidered on the pad of his right foot. Fudgy is the perfect friend from birth.

He even stars in his own series of picture books, authored by Sarah Marley. Busy London mum Sarah is a lawyer by day and author by night and created the Fudgy character through stories she devised for her own son, Nicholas.

Packed with bright colourful images and interactive moments, Fudgy's books introduce colours, numbers and shapes and really do make learning fun. From birth to pre-school, children will love holding Fudgy close whilst enjoying listening to his adventures at the farm, the zoo and the seaside. For slightly older children, there are also Fudgy Activity Books, which help with pre-school learning development.

"Reading the books with the bear helps children to engage with the character in the stories, fostering empathy and adding a sensory dimension to the visual and auditory activity of reading a book. Learning is more effective when a child feels calm and secure. If parents spend time reading, whilst the child cuddles the toy, the child will associate Fudgy with positive feelings of security, calmness, love and happiness. Cuddling Fudgy can recreate those feelings and help a child cope with challenges they face."

Fudgy Bear has also teamed up with Volunteer Reading Help and recently donated 1000 books to the charity. Julie Nixon, Director of Services at VRH said:

"At VRH we were delighted with our Fudgy Bear books, they have been a real hit with both the children and the reading helpers reading them. They are fun and interactive and assist greatly with building the confidence of some children we help. The key to unlocking the door to literacy is enthusing the child to love reading and finding books that do that."

Fudgy has already won a host of awards including the Loved by Parents (2011) Silver Award for Best Soft Toy and Best Stimulative Toy, whilst Gurgle magazine highlighted him as one of last Christmas's Must Have Buys! The Mummy Blogger Community has also given him a big thumbs up!